ADL Needed More Than Ever

Hate on Display

Whoopi Goldberg, Trevor Noah And “06880”: The Sequel

I often quote Dan Woog’s blog, “06880.” He writes about Westport (our zip code is 06880) and events or people with connections to the town. On Saturday evening he wrote that Whoopi Goldberg would be filling in for Trevor Noah who had to cancel due to bruised vocal cords.

On Sunday he wrote: “Page views were normal for a Saturday. But on Sunday morning, they spiked 10-fold. Well before noon, that ADL story [about Whoopi Goldberg and Trevor Noah] had the most hits of anything I’ve published since I started “06880,” nearly a decade ago.”

Dan was inundated with comments from “haters.” These comments were not from Westporters or people with an interest in the town.

“The comments about Whoopi Goldberg (and Trevor Noah) were nasty. They were vile. They were racist,” Dan wrote. He deleted some of the worst, and closed down the comment section.

But why would someone post a hateful comment about a Black comedian? Where does this hate come from? Is it from fear – people who are afraid of losing their white privilege? Jealousy – how can a Black person be famous and I’m not? I don’t get it.

Whoopi had the last word: “We need more people to stand up and have their voices heard. We the people should be in control of our country — not white nationalist men!”

I shared my story of the event in my last post. Tonight I have more pictures for you.

Chicago Security Officer Killed at Nightclub

I could hardly believe this story when I heard it on NPR three days ago. There was a shooter at a nightclub near Chicago. Someone had called 911, and the police came quickly. The security guard Jemel Roberson was trying to apprehend the shooter.

One of the policemen shot and killed the security guard. The shooter was captured and is recovering in the hospital.

At least one person nearby shouted to the police that Jemel was security. He wore a cap that said “Security” on it.

I told my husband the story. He said, “You can’t always blame the police. They have to respond quickly. They may be in danger of their lives.”

“Yes, they do have to react fast,” I said. “But just imagine if the security guard had been a white man. Would he have been shot?”

The New York Times story on Wednesday said, “Protesters have pointed out that Mr. Roberson, who was black, was killed even though he was a “good guy with a gun,” the type of person put forth by the National Rifle Association and President Trump as a solution to mass shootings.”

Margaret Anderson, the Persuasion Coach

After my blog post about the need for women in peace building, “Persuasion coach” Margaret Anderson wrote to me. She said, “There’s another reason building peace needs women.”

As a trainer, author and consultant, Margaret teaches people, “How to get more of what they need from others, while building bridges, not burning them.” She says that consensus building is another form of peace building.

She sent me a sermon she delivered for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Galveston County in Jan. 2017. There, you’ll read how many (though not all) women tend to gravitate to a collaborative (win-win) system of negotiation. Many (though not all) men lean toward a competitive system.

You’ll read how an entire society benefits when there is a better balance between the collaborative and competitive styles.

You’ll also follow Margaret’s personal and professional skills-training journey through pivotal moments when life threw her a curve, but she made mid-course corrections and ultimately benefited from those changes.

I think you’ll like her sermon. You can also visit her blog.

Clothes Can Make a Difference

Girls wearing the hijab to school has been an issue in Nigeria and other parts of the world for many years.

Lagos State has tried to ban the wearing of Hijab. But the court disagreed.

A government circular on November 13, 2018, provided guidelines for wearing the hijab on school uniforms. “According to the circular, students will be ‘allowed to wear Hijabs on school uniforms but same must be short, smart, neat and in the colour of the school uniform (skirt).”

The Lagos State Government has appealed the ruling. While awaiting a ruling from the Supreme Court, the hijab is permitted.

“The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Lagos State Area Unit, commended the Lagos State Government,” according to the article in Sahara Reporters.

“A press statement by Dr Saheed Ashafa, the President of the MSSN Lagos, noted that ‘the circular would help to stop harassment and victimisation of female Muslim students for wearing hijab’ “.

He also directed comments at the girls, as he “encouraged female Muslim students to be confident, smart and neat while putting on the hijab, just as he urged them to ‘remain law abiding and be good ambassadors of the religion of peace.’ “